At 8:40 a.m. the gates to the garden were opened to a crowd of over 100 Easter basket carrying children and their families.

There were 1,500 Easter eggs filled with prizes hidden in the gardens. To be fair, each age group was assigned a certain color egg to find.

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Ava Cambio

"I liked how the eggs were color coded according to age and hidden so the younger kids' eggs were easy to find and the older kids' eggs were harder to find," said participant Clara Ambrose, age 13.

Every 15 minutes there was an intermission. During this time the Hot Flashz dance troupe led the participants in doing "The Bunny Hop" through the colorful gardens. For many children, this was their first time doing "The Bunny Hop," a type of line dance.

Twenty golden eggs contained special prizes such as tickets for gifts donated by local businesses and original artwork by artist and gallery owner Leoma Love-grove. This is her third year hosting this event.

"I started doing this for the children," she smiled when asked why she started hosting the Easter Egg Hunt.

According to Marjean Sage, president of the Hot Flashz, "The proceeds of the event raise funds and support Camp Boggy Creek in Eustis, Fla." This is a year-round camp facility for children with various chronic and serious life-threatening illnesses.

"The proceeds also help support The Special Operations Warrior Foundation in Tampa, Fla.," Marjean continued. This organization provides scholarship, education and counseling to children of special operations personnel who die while on missions.

"The event was very nicely organized. I always appreciate what the island does for the community," said Julia Simpson, parent.

In the end, the children left the gardens with their baskets overflowing.